The 8 Best Meal Delivery Services of 2026: Tested and Approved

With the help of a certified nutrition coach, we’ve tested and selected the best meal delivery services of 2026. These meals offer flexible plans and tailored nutrition to help you and your family fit healthy meals into your demanding schedule.

Best Meal Delivery Services of 2026

• Best Meal Delivery Service Overall: Home Chef
• Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service: Tempo
• Best Meal Delivery Service for Singles: Fuel Meals
• Best Organic Meal Delivery Service: Hungryroot
• Best Low-Carb Meal Delivery Service: Factor
• Best Meal Delivery Service for Families: HelloFresh
• Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Service: Trifecta 
• Best Affordable Meal Delivery Service: Forkful

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Best Meal Delivery Service Comparison Table

Meal Delivery Service	Diet Types Available	Average Prep Time	Meal Type	Meal per Week Options
Home Chef	Gluten-smart, keto-friendly, and more	30-40 minutes	Prepared, meal kits	2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Tempo	<500 calories, <25 net carbs, and more	3 minutes	Prepared, meal kits	6, 8, 10, 12
Fuel Meals	Weight loss, muscle gain, and more	3 minutes	Prepared	7, 10, 14, 20
Hungryroot	Anti-inflammatory, high protein, and more	15-20 minutes	Prepared, meal kits	8, 10, 12, 16
Factor	Fiber-filled, high-protein, and more	3 minutes	Prepared	6, 8, 10, 12
HelloFresh	Pescetarian, family friendly, and more	30-40 minutes	Meal kits	2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Trifecta	Gluten-free, keto-friendly, and more	3 minutes	Prepared	5, 7, 10, 14
Forkful	Gluten-free, GLP-1, and more	3 minutes	Prepared	6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20

Home Chef
Diet Types Available	Gluten-smart, keto-friendly, and more
Average Prep Time	30-40 minutes
Meal Type	Prepared, meal kits
Meal per Week Options	2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Tempo
Diet Types Available	<500 calories, <25 net carbs, and more
Average Prep Time	3 minutes
Meal Type	Prepared, meal kits
Meal per Week Options	6, 8, 10, 12
Fuel Meals
Diet Types Available	Weight loss, muscle gain, and more
Average Prep Time	3 minutes
Meal Type	Prepared
Meal per Week Options	7, 10, 14, 20
Hungryroot
Diet Types Available	Anti-inflammatory, high protein, and more
Average Prep Time	15-20 minutes
Meal Type	Prepared, meal kits
Meal per Week Options	8, 10, 12, 16
Factor
Diet Types Available	Fiber-filled, high-protein, and more
Average Prep Time	3 minutes
Meal Type	Prepared
Meal per Week Options	6, 8, 10, 12
HelloFresh
Diet Types Available	Pescetarian, family friendly, and more
Average Prep Time	30-40 minutes
Meal Type	Meal kits
Meal per Week Options	2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Trifecta
Diet Types Available	Gluten-free, keto-friendly, and more
Average Prep Time	3 minutes
Meal Type	Prepared
Meal per Week Options	5, 7, 10, 14
Forkful
Diet Types Available	Gluten-free, GLP-1, and more
Average Prep Time	3 minutes
Meal Type	Prepared
Meal per Week Options	6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20

Best Meal Delivery Service Overall: Home Chef

Our Thoughts on Home Chef

Home Chef is our pick for the best meal delivery service overall because its weekly menu offers over 60 dishes, which vary from ready-to-heat microwave/oven meals to partial or full meal kits to prep and cook. We like Home Chef’s “Customize It” feature, which allows customers to easily swap or upgrade proteins and filter out specific ingredients, which is great for households with specific dietary needs.

Kayla tested this meal kit and found the website easy to use, rating it a 5 out of 5 for her general ordering experience. “You can change the cadence of how often you get the meals, like bi-weekly, weekly, or monthly. You can customize your meals and swap out protein types and different ingredients,” she said. “It’s super easy to skip deliveries via the website. The user experience is great.”

She loved the taste of the meals she tested, rating the flavor an overall 5 out of 5. “This was so good! We had the truffle cream tortellini. It was something I would 100% make and eat again,” Kayla said. “It really tastes like restaurant quality, I’m super impressed.”

Our tester found the preparation process and the directions easy to follow, rating it a 4 out of 5 in this category. “I love the booklet with the instructions,” she said. “The prep time does seem very quick for the number of steps, but nothing is hard to do. I also love that the instructions help you time manage.” Kayla said that the prep took about 20 minutes. For this meal, she didn’t have much to do because everything was pre-portioned and she only had to cut chives and mushrooms.

When it comes to portion size, Kayla rated it a 4 out of 5: “The portion could be bigger for two people. I think it’s perfect for one person to have some leftovers, but I don’t think two people would be satisfied and feel full, even though it is meant for two people.” Overall, she loved the many options to choose from week to week. Kayla also liked that there are menus available weeks in advance, so you can plan ahead.

Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service: Tempo

Our Thoughts on Tempo

Tempo is our pick as the best prepared meal delivery service for its convenience and taste. The recipes are chef-designed and high in protein, arriving fresh. We love that these heat-and-eat meals are ready in under three minutes—perfect for folks who are limited on time to cook.

I got to test Tempo hands-on and rated my experience of navigating the website and placing my order as a 5 out of 5. I found the website easy to use—there is an app available, which I didn’t use. I’ve ordered from other meal delivery brands in the past, and having an app for meal delivery makes it so much easier and seamless when ordering, changing things up, delaying orders, and more.

One of the meals I tried was the ‘Marry Me Salmon,’ which I rated a 3 out of 5 for taste. The salmon tasted good, but the texture was more like a cooked-from-frozen salmon filet, which wasn’t the best mouthfeel. I honestly loved the broccoli in this dish: it was fresh, tasty, and bright and nicely seasoned with garlic and parsley. 

For all of the sauces included in this meal (alfredo sauce, basil pesto butter, tomato cream sauce, and sun-dried tomato pesto) I expected a bit more flavor and richness. I felt the orzo, broccoli, and alfredo sauce portion fell a bit flat and didn’t meet my expectations for a tasty and satisfying pasta side. Overall, it tasted like it needed more salt. 

That said, the portion size was overall a good fit. The salmon was the right portion size and I was glad the side of pasta wasn’t overflowing/overstuffed into the container. So, after eating I felt full, but not too full. I did feel snacky about two hours later, however.

I also tried Tempo’s chimichurri filet with potatoes and cauliflower, which I rated a 5 out of 5. The steak was cooked medium and served with the chimichurri sauce, both of which I thought were delicious. The cauliflower was fresh, and the potatoes were a good texture. I loved this meal and would order it again.

Best Meal Delivery Service for Singles: Fuel Meals

Our Thoughts on Fuel Meals

Fuel Meals is our pick for the best meal delivery service for singles because it delivers maximum convenience with minimal prep. The service focuses on fresh, portion-controlled, high-protein meals that are ideal for solo eaters, particularly those with fitness or weight loss goals in mind.

Eden tested Fuel Meals, rating her ordering experience a 3 out of 5. “The website was fairly easy to use. It did take some poking around at first to figure out how to order one-off meals and what sort of subscription options were available. I would say it took me 15 to 20 minutes to figure out how to order,” she said.

Our tester enjoyed the meals but wasn’t overly impressed, giving the flavor a 3 out of 5, too. “The meals were fine. For someone who doesn’t have time to meal prep, plan, or cook, but still wants protein-packed meals, these are a good solution,” she said. 

When it comes to portion size, these may be a little on the smaller side for some. According to Eden, these would be an ideal lunch to bring to the office, as all you need is a microwave to heat them up.   

“I tested the best sellers selection, so that I could try meals that people ordered most often, and I can see why these types of dishes (lots of pasta) were popular,” Eden explained. She said these meals tasted similar to Factor meals that she’s tried in the past, but noted that Fuel Meals were more filling, likely because of Fuel’s focus on high protein. 

After trying a few different meals on different days, Eden rated her level of satisfaction after eating a Fuel Meal as a 4 out of 5. “I thought the meals were relatively flavorful,” Eden said. “I don’t know that I’d want to eat them every day, but they’d be a great option to have on hand a few times a week for lunch or dinner if I was pressed for time.

Best Organic Meal Delivery Service: Hungryroot

Our Thoughts on Hungryroot

Hungryroot is our pick for the best organic meal delivery service (also one of our best healthy meal delivery services) because it blends the flexibility of an online grocery store along with the convenience of a customizable meal kit while prioritizing clean, mostly organic ingredients. When taking Hungryroot’s initial survey to select your meals and groceries, you can specify dietary needs, cuisines, and flavors you enjoy. You also get to select ingredients that you prefer to avoid, which is a great way to ensure you mind any dietary restrictions or allergens.

Meredith tested Hungryroot and found the ordering process to be a positive experience, rating it a 4 out of 5. “The website had a good UX and was very easy to navigate,” she said. “You can simply get started by selecting your plan, providing any restrictions you may have, and then selecting your menu. It’s simple to skip a meal or pause your membership if need be.”

After trying her first meal, Meredith was sold on the flavor. She rated the taste a 5 out of 5. “The super crunch veggies and Thai coconut chicken was delicious! There were a variety of ingredients that contributed to this great flavor and texture: crunch from the super veggie blend, savory from the chicken and lentils, and a tangy coconut sauce,” she said. 

She found the meal very filling, and the recipe provided plenty of food for two adults, so she rated her satisfaction and fullness a 5 out of 5. “I was pleasantly surprised by how much food I ended up with,” she said. “There were minimal leftovers with this meal, and it was perfectly portioned.”

Best Low-Carb Meal Delivery Service: Factor

Our Thoughts on Factor

Factor is our pick for the best low carb or keto meal delivery service because the brand offers a wide range of low-carb heat-and-eat options: calorie smart (550 calories or less per serving), keto (low carb, high fat meals), and carb conscious (35 grams of total carbs per serving). The meals are designed by dietitians to be nutritionally balanced and taste good, too.

Taylor tested Factor, rating his general ordering experience as a 4 out of 5. “I gave this a four only because I don’t like that I can’t select my meals before putting in my payment information,” he said. “You can see the menu on the first page but I wanted to see individual pricing before making a commitment. Sometimes with meal delivery they will lock you in on a price but then up-charge you for meals like steak and I think it be more helpful and transparent to see that pricing before paying.” Overall, though, Taylor found it easy to cancel, skip, and navigate the Factor website.

On taste, Taylor rated Factor a 4 out of 5. “These meals are flavorful for a frozen prepared meal,” he said. “The meals were well-seasoned and they weren’t soupy or watery like I’ve experienced with some other meal delivery options,” he said. Taylor liked that some of the meals had a sauce or butter added, which helped to enhance the flavor. “Sometimes you need a little extra seasoning or sauce to make it really tasty, and Factor did a good job of that,” he said.

Taylor rated his feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating a Factor meal as a 3 out of 5. “The portion size was decent, however, it seems better for a smaller person, not someone who is 210 pounds,” he said. “The meals ranged in calories but most were in the 400 to 600 calorie range, which is good for lunches, but perhaps not sustainable for dinners.”

Interested in Factor? Read our full Factor Meals Review.

Best Meal Delivery Service for Families: HelloFresh

Our Thoughts on HelloFresh

HelloFresh is our pick for the best meal delivery service for families because this brand offers family friendly, kid-tested recipes. Not only are there customization options when building your plate, but the brand also has quick-prep recipes for kids (think turkey gouda pinwheels, crispy parmesan chicken, and spaghetti and meatballs, for example). The brand also has double portions available for families.

Gwen tested HelloFresh, rating her ordering experience a 5 out of 5. “The HelloFresh website is incredibly easy to use and navigate,” she said. “The pages are clean and well-designed.” She also loved that you can edit your box until a certain date and time ahead of the order, and the website reminds you of this.

After tasting a few recipes, she rated the flavors a 5 out of 5. “The flavor was really impressive,” Gwen said. She had honey soy chicken with rice, then a buffalo chicken wrap. “Both tasted like something I would order at a takeout spot. Everything also tasted pretty fresh, which makes sense, considering all of the ingredients are fresh or raw.”

“There was a good amount of prep involved with the meals I chose,” Gwen said, rating the preparation process and ease of following the directions as a 3 out of 5. “I had to bread chicken for one of the meals and do both baking and frying elements at the same time. I went through a good amount of dishes, so I wouldn’t recommend this for folks who don’t have a dishwasher,” she said. 

That said, the steps weren’t too complicated. She found the instructions very easy to follow, but it did take more than 20 minutes to prepare the meals. “If you’re on a time crunch and want a very minimal effort meal kit, I would go with a premade meal. I used this as a fun date night activity, and we both enjoyed it!” We recommend trying Tempo or Factor if you’d like to skip prep and cooking, and instead heat up a prepared meal in under three minutes.

Interested in HelloFresh? Read our full HelloFresh Review.

Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Service: Trifecta

Our Thoughts on Trifecta

Trifecta is our pick for the best gluten-free meal delivery service. Not only does the company tout its clean, organic ingredients, but all meals are also completely gluten-free. Their meals are minimally processed and avoid extras, like added sugar. The brand currently offers five meal plans, including paleo, plant-based, GLP-1 friendly, and more.

Kayla tested Trifecta, and rated her ordering experience as a 3 out of 5. “I was a little confused by the website when ordering. There are ‘chef meals’ and then ‘regular meals,’ which seem to be of the same quality, but the chef meals mention whole foods, so I’m not sure,” she said. “I do like how adding products to your cart is simple: you select how many meals, and then you add them to your cart.” 

Our tester did not find any hidden charges or upcharges at the end of ordering, which our team appreciates. When she went to cancel her membership after her testing period ended, she noted that the only way to do so was to email customer service. Customer service was quick to respond and handle her request, though.

When it comes to taste and flavor, Kayla rated her experience in this category as a 3 out of 5. “I rated taste a 3 because I honestly wasn’t impressed with the flavor,” she said. “While some meals had great seasoning, like the buffalo chicken, the textures were mostly mushy or sitting in water.” The meals are vacuum-sealed, and Kayla noted that this can make the meals look unappetizing. “However, once I pulled my meals out of the packaging, drained off any excess water, put them in my own bowl and added a little seasoning, they were great,” she said. If you have a dietary restriction like gluten intolerance and want a quick and easy meal, it’s a solid option.

She rated the satisfaction and fullness she felt after eating a Trifecta meal as a 4 out of 5. “The portions had a great protein-to-calorie ratio and I was thoroughly impressed with the macros,” she said. “The portion sizes were a little small for dinner. This will work great for most people for lunches, but if you’re looking to bulk, you might need another half portion,” Kayla said.

Best Affordable Meal Delivery Service: Forkful

Our Thoughts on Forkful

We chose Forkful as our pick for the best affordable meal delivery service because the more meals you order, the cheaper they are, for any of the eight diets available. If you order six meals, it’ll cost $12.58 a meal, and if you order 20 meals, it’ll cost $8.60 per meal, as of this writing. This would work well for busy folks who want quick heat-and-eat meals on hand for both lunch and dinner. 

Kate tested Forkful, rating her general ordering experience as a 3 out of 5. She didn’t like that before seeing the meal selections, you have to create an account and put in your payment information. Many other meal delivery services are this same way, and we understand the frustration. She did like that there are lots of different dietary options to choose from when ordering, such as a GLP-1, paleo, plant-based, high-protein, low-carb, and more.

Our tester rated the taste and flavor of the meals she tried as a 4 out of 5. “The meatballs were really good! The cauliflower wasn’t as good, but the quality was strong,” Kate said. “This was very impressive for a microwaved and pre-prepped meal. This is a strong contender for someone who is always on the go but wants good quality food.”

When it comes to feeling satisfied and full, Kate rated Forkful a 4 out of 5. “These are good lunch portions,” she said. “If I was someone looking to bulk up, it probably wasn’t enough food.” The meal she tried was under 400 calories, which is lower for a meal. She suggested adding a protein shake or another meal replacement to help you feel more full.

Other Meal Delivery Services We Tested and Considered

We tested over ten meal delivery services total, including all the most popular brands on the market. Here are a few that didn’t make our list, and why.

• EveryPlate: Our tester thinks the portion size for two people is too small
• Purple Carrot: Our tester liked some of the dishes, but most of them lacked seasoning or the texture was off 
• Green Chef: Our tester noted that the meals took longer than the thirty-five minutes listed to cook the meals

How We Tested and Selected the Best Meal Delivery Services

We tested and evaluated meal delivery services and scored them on a scale of 1-5 for factors such as UX of the brand’s website/app, ease of ordering, taste and flavor, portion size, packaging, value, and more. Our testers evaluate the products based on their own individual experiences and preferences. We then review their testing feedback and data to share our findings and recommendations with you.

Taste

Flavor and taste are a huge part of our testing process, especially when it comes to meal delivery services. Our testers rate the flavor on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best, and provide feedback on how specific meals tasted, the texture, and more.

Meal Variety

We look at all the types of meals (meal kits vs. prepared meals), along with specific diet plans (keto, gluten-free, GLP-1 friendly, paleo, heart healthy, etc.) and how many meals are available from the meal delivery service brands. We look to see if meals are repeated week over week, or if you’ll get more variety when selecting meals. 

Ordering Process

Our testers provide feedback on how user-friendly a meal delivery service’s website is, how easy or difficult it is to order, and if they can see the menu and options ahead of putting in their payment information. We also check to see if the brand has an app and test its functionality. 

Portion Size

We consider portion sizes for singles, couples, and families. Our testers share if they felt satisfied after finishing the meal, and if they’re hungry within two hours of eating.

Ingredient Quality

We look for meal delivery services that offer fresh ingredients, focus on sustainably sourced meat and seafood, and provide additional information on where the ingredients originated.

Plans and Customization

We review how many meals the delivery services offer per week, and if ingredients can be excluded depending on specific dietary needs or restrictions. We also check to see if double protein can be added, meals can be tailored to individual family members, and how easy it is to delay or modify our order.

Value

When considering value, we place a higher value on brands that source fresh and clean whole food ingredients, and have certifications, such as USDA-certified organic.

Meal delivery service	Prepared or meal kit?	Average price per serving
Home Chef	Both	$9.99
Tempo	Both	$10.99
Fuel Meals	Prepared	$11.99
Hungryroot	Both, plus groceries	$9.99
Factor	Prepared	$11.99
HelloFresh	Both, focus on meal kits	$9.99
Trifecta	Prepared	$13.99
Forkful	Prepared	$8.60

Home Chef
Prepared or meal kit?	Both
Average price per serving	$9.99
Tempo
Prepared or meal kit?	Both
Average price per serving	$10.99
Fuel Meals
Prepared or meal kit?	Prepared
Average price per serving	$11.99
Hungryroot
Prepared or meal kit?	Both, plus groceries
Average price per serving	$9.99
Factor
Prepared or meal kit?	Prepared
Average price per serving	$11.99
HelloFresh
Prepared or meal kit?	Both, focus on meal kits
Average price per serving	$9.99
Trifecta
Prepared or meal kit?	Prepared
Average price per serving	$13.99
Forkful
Prepared or meal kit?	Prepared
Average price per serving	$8.60

How to Find the Best Meal Delivery Service for You

There are tons of meal delivery services available these days. You may have specific dietary needs, a busy lifestyle, or a family to feed, all of which is important when choosing the best meal kits or prepared meals for you. 

Dietary Variety and Meal Options

You may want to prioritize different types of meal options when shopping, whether that be meal kits or prepared heat-and-eat meals. If you’re on a time crunch, a prepared meal delivery service might be the best choice, as they can be warmed up in the microwave in under three minutes. 

If you have some time to cook, and prefer to eat fresh ingredients (including produce, herbs, and more) then you should opt for a meal kit that you can cook yourself in 20-40 minutes. Some meal kit brands also list the prep and cook time before you select the recipe on their website, indicating quick 15-minute meals and more involved meals that might take 40 minutes.

Meal delivery services often include features to exclude certain foods or ingredients, or to follow a particular diet. It’s also good to keep your calorie needs in mind when looking through potential meals.

Ingredient Quality

We recommend choosing a meal delivery service that’s transparent about their ingredient sourcing, added sugars, calories, and quality. Some meal delivery services use organic ingredients and share where they source their meat and seafood, too.

Cost

Meal delivery services generally cost between $8 and $16 per meal. Many offer discounts if you purchase more meals at a time. Brands frequently have great introductory offers which can help you save more money upfront when you want to try out a meal delivery service for the first time. They often offer discounts if you’ve cancelled or taken several weeks off from the service, as well, to return.

Portion Size

Consider the portion size you’ll need for each meal before purchasing. Many prepared meals are perfect for folks who are single, or couples, while a meal kit with double the protein would work well for a larger family. 

Prep Process

Prepared meal kits take only a few minutes to heat in the microwave. Meal kits can be more complicated and involve prepping (such as cutting vegetables or breading chicken), cooking time, and cleaning up. Before purchasing a meal kit, we recommend how much prep is involved in the meals, and how much time you’re able to spend cooking, or if you’d like to skip cooking altogether. 

Benefits of Meal Delivery Services

There are plenty of benefits of using a meal delivery service in today’s busy world. Here are a few:

• Convenience: For those who don’t have the time to cook a full meal or grocery shop, meal kits can save precious time or come in handy after a week of business travel.
• Saving Time: Skip the grocery store and get the meals delivered to you when it works best for your schedule.
• Dietary Restrictions: Meal kits can help you avoid allergens, exclude other ingredients, and adhere to a diet plan or way of eating that works best for you.
• Reducing Food Waste: Meal kits only include the amounts of ingredients you need, so you can save any leftovers and avoid throwing out produce or herbs

Frequently asked questions

What is the best meal delivery company?

We chose Home Chef as the best meal delivery service because its weekly menu offers over 60 dishes, which vary from ready-to-heat microwave and oven meals to partial or full meal kits to prep and cook. We like Home Chef’s “Customize It” feature, which allows customers to easily swap or upgrade proteins and filter out specific ingredients, which is great for households with specific dietary needs.

Is it cheaper to buy groceries or do a meal delivery service?

Buying groceries is usually cheaper than a meal delivery service, but various factors can influence this, such as grocery store availability, cost of the meal delivery service, area where you live, and more. Keep in mind that meal kits deliver more than just meals—they also offer convenience, time savings, and can be tailored to meet your dietary needs, so it can be worth considering trying one of these services out.

How long do meal delivery kits take to prep?

Preprepared meal kits (heat-and-eat) can be warmed up in the microwave oftentimes in under three minutes and are then ready to eat. Meal delivery kits that involve cooking might take between 15 minutes and 40+ minutes to prep and cook, depending on the recipe.